The focus of this post today is to discuss dedication. We all have dreams and goals that we aspire to achieve. Yet, sometimes they can be morphed, and that’s fine. However, have you ever met a person who has a completely different goal every time you meet them? Like one day, they’ve decided to go to grad school for business. The next day they’ve decided to pursue their singing career. The next moment, they’ve decided to become an author. Then the next day they’re looking for jobs in the legal industry. It’s important for one to know when to ride the waves and when to jump ship.
Examples:
Jumping Ship Gone Right:
• In the real estate market as an agent during the subprime bubble and decide to refocus interests during the shaky period
• Worked ten years as a doctor but decided that their heart was in non-profit work, helping others, and decides to pursue their passion.
• Working at a Fortune 500 company that you believed to be great. However, corruption is high. You’re swamped with work. The environment is negative. You’re miserable. You decide the job just isn’t right for you.
Jumping Ship Gone Wrong:
• You randomly picked a job, thinking it was an instant way to success. However, you’ve been “working hard” for three months and are frustrated. You see a friend of yours happy and wealthy as a marketer. You decide to jump ship, thinking this job will give you what your friend has.
• You find yourself switching careers/jobs almost every month of the year because you’re not satisfied with it.
Riding the Waves Gone Right:
• You’ve began your own business. It’s a rough beginning, and you’re barely making ends meet. However, you’ve done your research. You’re passionate about it, and believe in its success.
• You stick with your job/investments because they’re simple. The job/investments line up with your principles, and you’re satisfied.
• You’re in love with what you do. It’s a joy to do it everyday. You decide that whether you get paid little or a lot that it’s worth the risks.
Riding the Waves Gone Wrong:
• You’ve made an investment in something that isn’t going right. You’ve lost almost everything you have, but you’re stubborn and in denial. You decide to continue sticking it out until the end.
• You’ve invested time and money into business, but it’s been years, and you’re still not seeing a return on your efforts.
As you can see, there are situations where either side can be appropriate. The key is dedication to the right values that you hold. Sometimes, our goals have to change to align with our values. However, you’ll never have your goals in line if you don’t know what it is that you value. Therefore, once you know what they are, you can embark on your wealth journey, riding the waves until it’s time to jump ship to a better opportunity!
*Image courtesy of James Lauritz.
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{ 2 comments }
Really good to point out these differences! I like that analogy, too. I think the hardest thing is knowing when to stick on vs. “cut your losses” when things don’t seem to be going right. I haven’t figured it out. I read Seth Godin’s book “The Dip,” which I thought would be useful but really didn’t solve the problem for me.
If you quit something you care about, there is the chance you will always be wondering if you could have made it. I also like finishing what I’ve started.
Then there’s the double-faced advice of “leap and the net will appear” vs. make sure you have a plan B to turn to before you walk away from your current job (a perfectly rational decision).
Most tough decisions are probably a tug-of-war between these extremes. And, of course, other problems might be clouding your vision at the same time and your response to events.
‘Tis true. They aren’t easy decisions, but sometimes we have to cut out the fluff. We have to know what we value out of life. Those values and goals serve as a compass to navigate us through our lives. Without those, we’re subject to being lost and confused with our journeys in life.
You’re correct in saying that there can be a lot of gray area in between with decisions. However, humans are masters at clouding their own judgment with complicated measures. We say “keep it simple and listen to your heart’s desires”, but then list them and constantly refer to them as you encounter difficulties.
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